(LEAD) Fishing boat carrying 9 capsizes in waters near Dokdo

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES information on ongoing search in para 3)

DONGHAE, South Korea, Oct. 20 (Yonhap) -- A fishing boat carring nine crewmen capsized in waters off the country's easternmost islets of Dokdo Wednesday, the Coast Guard said.

The Coast Guard has been informed by Japanese authorities that the 72-ton vessel capsized at 2:24 p.m. in waters 168 kilometers northeast of Dokdo.

Six of the crewmembers are foreigners and three are South Koreans, officials said.

The Donghae regional office of the Coast Guard dispatched a pair of patrol ships and a helicopter to conduct a search, but have only found an empty life raft near the sinking site so far, according to officials.

pbr@yna.co.kr
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